Psychology major and Undergraduate Research Opportunities Center (UROC) researcher Rebekah Newman took home first place in the category of education, graduate level session while Yollette Merritt took home second place in the humanities and letters category, graduate
level session.

By engaging in the CSU student research competition, I have strengthened relationships with my mentors, learned how to work as a team, and have become a more competitive and well-rounded student and person. I have grown not only professionally, but academically and personally."

Rebekah Newman

The CSU Student Research Competition (SRC) is held each spring to promote excellence in undergraduate and graduate scholarly research and creative activity by recognizing outstanding student accomplishments across the 23 CSU campuses.

Student participants made oral presentations before juries of professional experts from major corporations, foundations, public agencies, colleges and universities in California.

"The CSU SRC is an amazing opportunity and experience to highlight and applaud our hard-working students for their leadership and excellence in scholarly activity," said assistant professor of psychology, Christine Valdez. "Mentoring students through this learning experience and watching them become passionate about their research and excited from the process of discovery reaffirms my reasons doing what I do - I am moved by the scientific minds of our future and take great pride in our developing scholars."

Valdez served as a faculty mentor for Newman along with assistant professor of psychology, Jennifer Lovell. Professor Debian Marty from the School of Humanities and Communication served as faculty mentor for Yollette Merritt.